One of my happiest afternoons in San Jose was spent at Filoli, a huge estate with 16 acres of gardens and a beautiful home which are open to the public. Seeing 3 deer close to the driveway as I made my way toward the entrance boded well, and the house and grounds did not disappoint. Around every corner was another spot that felt more beautiful than the last. My camera died fairly early on, so I relied on my cell phone for most of my photos and made a mental note to keep better track of my battery situation; this was not a place in which you want to be without a camera! After rambling around Filoli for a couple of hours I made my way back to San Jose the long way, through the twisty tiny roads of the Purisima Creek Redwoods Preserve. The wild abandon of the green, mossy, dripping woods felt like the perfect balance to Filoli's formal grandeur.

Hello! My name is Shelagh. A couple of years ago I quit my entire life and wandered around the US for a year, living out of my car. These days I'm living on the coast of Maine, seeking balance, making life-long friends and connections, and looking for smaller adventures as I explore daily life, living with friends and my dogs, and working in a bakery, still with my camera by my side.